Compare Monster Hunter Wilds vs Avowed

Boss and monster design was one of the strongest points, with reviewers repeatedly praising memorable, creative, intimidating, and excellent creatures.

Boss design was criticized as disappointing, with bosses feeling like tougher versions of regular enemies rather than unique encounters.

User interface design was criticized where radial menus felt unresponsive and UI friction recurred during repeated hunt cycles.

UI options such as text sizing and subtitles were appreciated as useful interface support.

Quest design was mixed to negative, with story quests and high-rank goals criticized despite on-the-fly questing being praised elsewhere.

Quest design ranged from excellent side stories and meaningful follow-ups to fetchy, inconsistent, or repetitive tasks.

Level design was praised for world spaces with nooks, crannies, verticality, and useful layouts.

Level design was praised for verticality, density, handcrafted routes, and spaces that felt larger than their footprint.

Map and navigation design was mixed, with praise for the new map system offset by clutter, confusion, and navigation friction.

Map and navigation design was mixed, with missing custom markers criticized before later updates added them.

Sound design was praised for combat impact, monster audio, and the overall sensory presentation of hunts.

Sound design was praised for impactful effects, combat feedback, and strong weapon audio.

Mission design was criticized for unskippable walk-and-talks, forced walking, and control loss, with only a few later mission moments landing better.

Mission design drew criticism when quests felt repetitive, fetchy, or like back-and-forth errands, though some standout missions remained.

Open-world design was divisive: some praised the living, connected ecosystems, while others felt large spaces were wasted or spectacle-first.

Open-zone design split reviewers: many liked curated, dense hubs, while others found the world restrictive, lifeless, or not interactive enough.

World-building was strongly praised for living ecosystems, cultural detail, and a breathing world that supported the Monster Hunter fantasy.

World-building was one of Avowed’s clearest strengths, especially its politics, cultures, history, and Eora continuity.

Tutorial quality was inconsistent: some tutorials were unobtrusive, but several reviewers found key mechanics buried, brief, or poorly explained.

The tutorial was praised for teaching systems naturally and creating meaningful choices early.

Dialogue quality was sharply criticized in one review for boring NPC talk during story-driven sections.

Dialogue quality ranged from standout and well acted to overly wordy, forced, or limited in the options it offered.

The core gameplay loop earned strong praise from most reviewers, though one strongly negative review argued streamlining undermined the hunt-craft-prep loop.

The core loop was divisive: strong combat and exploration were often undermined for some reviewers by gear-tier repetition and open-zone structure.

Enemy variety was highly praised, with reviewers emphasizing strange new creatures, diverse silhouettes, and a memorable monster cast.

Enemy variety was a recurring concern; many reviewers felt the same bears, spiders, skeletons, and humanoids appeared too often.

Crash stability was a weakness in the reviews that mentioned crashes, especially alongside broader PC and launch technical complaints.

Crash stability varied by platform and version: some reviewers reported no crashes, while another had severe startup crashes before fixes.

World interactivity was mixed: weather and monster ecology impressed some, while others felt the detail had little gameplay impact.

World interactivity was one of the most common criticisms, with many reviewers finding NPCs, theft, objects, and systems too static.

Camera behavior was a repeated irritation when NPCs, monsters, or environments obstructed visibility during gameplay or photo/camera moments.

Camera-related options were appreciated, especially the ability to adjust head bob and camera shake for comfort.

Crafting-related preparation was praised where food and hunt-prep systems became smoother without fully removing their purpose.

Crafting was mixed to negative, with several reviewers calling it threadbare, expensive, or too tied to gear-tier progression.

Innovation was praised where Wilds' new systems, weather, and traversal changes were seen as elevating the formula.

Innovation was usually described as limited; reviewers saw Avowed as confident and enjoyable rather than genre-changing.

Resource balance was praised in at least one case for quality-of-life touches like reclaiming traps and saving materials.

Resource balance divided reviewers: some liked the meaningful economy, while others felt crafting materials and upgrade resources were too scarce.

Originality was praised where new ideas and systems were said to separate and elevate Wilds beyond a simple formula repeat.

Originality was limited; reviewers often described Avowed as familiar comfort-food fantasy rather than a bold genre evolution.

Facial animations were positively noted as more natural and helpful in grounding the more serious presentation.

Facial animations were criticized in later impressions as not matching next-generation expectations.

Writing quality was one of the weaker story-adjacent areas, with reviewers calling it trope-filled, overdramatic, or undeserving of its prominence.

Writing quality was widely praised for lore, companion dialogue, and sharp prose, but a minority found it wordy, pretentious, or mid.

Animation quality was consistently praised, from monster movement to combat presentation and more natural character movement.

Animation feedback was mixed, with stiff NPCs and less impressive presentation keeping the game from feeling fully modern.

AI behavior drew criticism where mount and monster pathing broke down, especially when navigation systems got stuck or failed to react cleanly.

Enemy AI was considered serviceable but not especially smart; later impressions suggested fights remain engaging without feeling brain-dead.

Faithfulness to franchise was sharply divided between reviewers who felt Wilds was peak Monster Hunter and others who felt it lost core identity.

Returning Eora fans often felt Avowed was faithful to the Pillars of Eternity world, while still accessible to newcomers.

Nata's arc was generally seen as effective, with multiple reviewers calling out earned growth and stronger-than-usual character development.

Character development split reviewers: some found companions distinct and engaging, while others thought characters were bland or hard to care about.

Endgame content was mixed to negative: some found hundreds of hours or challenge, but many cited shallow depth, repetition, or missing threats.

Endgame content was criticized because the original experience did not allow continued post-story play and lacked New Game Plus at launch.

Companion AI was usually praised, with Support Hunters, Palicoes, and AI partners helping effectively, though often adding to the easier feel.

Companion combat AI was mixed: some found companions self-sufficient or improved by patches, while others called them weak or unnecessary in fights.

Exploration quality was split: several reviewers enjoyed discovery and rewarding environments, while others felt autopilot and story rails reduced exploration.

Exploration was one of the strongest consensus positives, with dense maps, secrets, vertical paths, and constant rewards keeping reviewers engaged.

Grind level was mixed: crown and loot improvements reduced chores for some, while others still saw the loop as grind-heavy.

Grind level was a common complaint tied to gear upgrades, resource hunting, and spongy combat loops.

Learning curve remained a barrier despite approachability, with several reviewers still finding the game bewildering or difficult to slip into.

Learning support was helped by reference and lore systems that made Eora’s terminology easier to understand.

Movement feel was mixed: one reviewer still felt locked in sluggish animations, while another praised silky-smooth mount movement.

Movement feel and parkour were strongly praised for making exploration fluid, vertical, and enjoyable.

Polish was uneven, with severe launch polish complaints contrasted by quality-of-life improvements that showed Capcom had listened to feedback.

Polish improved over time but remained uneven, with reviewers citing jank, lack of gloss, or presentation limits alongside strong craftsmanship.

Loot systems were mixed: deterministic decorations and clearer drops helped, but some reviewers felt rare farming and chase goals ended too quickly.

Loot opinions were mixed: unique items and progression could be satisfying, but many chests and rewards felt predictable or unexciting.

HUD clarity was praised where reviewers noted the ability to resize or disable individual UI elements.

HUD clarity improved through options to reduce clutter, adjust opacity, and toggle display elements.

Bug frequency was a concern in a few reviews, with mentions of graphical glitches, model or camera issues, and broader buggy behavior.

Bug reports varied widely: some reviewers found almost none, while others hit quest bugs, map-edge bugs, or issues that required reloads.

The character roster was viewed positively where reviewers described the team as likable and supported by small character arcs.

The companion roster was often seen as small or limited, though some reviewers still liked the four supporting characters.

Aiming precision was mixed: Focus Mode could make attacks extremely accurate, but some focused attacks felt unwieldy while Great Sword users praised the added control.

Aiming and first-person spell placement drew criticism when ground-targeted abilities were hard to place precisely.

Content variety was mixed: creature variety and hunt content drew praise, while some reviewers felt the launch monster count was limited.

Reviewers liked the dense zones and amount of side content, although some felt the scope was restrained rather than sprawling.

Lore depth was positively noted by a reviewer who found Monster Hunter lore fascinating despite criticizing the story delivery.

Lore depth was consistently praised, especially the in-game books, history, politics, and reference systems that made Eora feel rich.

Pacing was a common complaint, especially story drag, long-winded sections, and a campaign that felt too short or too guided.

Pacing was mixed, with slow starts, downtime, filler quests, and late-game repetition weighing against an otherwise easy-to-follow story.

Difficulty balance was the most divisive area: newcomers found it approachable, but many veterans felt Wilds was too easy and lacked real challenge.

Difficulty balance was one of the most debated areas, with some finding it fair and flexible and others criticizing gear checks, sponginess, or uneven scaling.

Sandbox freedom was a major issue for critical reviewers, who felt story rails, autopilot, and forced paths undermined agency.

Sandbox freedom was limited compared with full open-world RPGs, though some reviewers still appreciated freedom in story choices or builds.

Fast travel and mount convenience were useful and often praised, though some reviewers felt autopilot or porting reduced exploration and agency.

Fast travel was viewed as convenient and generous, making it easy to revisit areas without friction.

Immersion was mixed to positive: reviewers praised the living world, while one noted convenience systems could break the fiction.

Immersion was helped by dense worldbuilding and atmosphere but hurt for some by static NPCs and limited world reactivity.

Narrative quality was mixed: some called it the best or most robust series story, while others found it familiar, linear, or trope-heavy.

Narrative quality was usually a strength thanks to mystery, choices, and world stakes, but some reviewers found the main plot predictable or underwhelming.

Graphics quality was mixed: several reviewers praised stunning visuals, while others criticized muddy performance mode, pop-in, or reduced image quality.

Graphics quality was divisive but often positive, with praise for stunning vistas and vivid visuals alongside criticism of poor or compromised visuals on some platforms.

Onboarding was generally praised as more approachable and newcomer-friendly, though some reviews still found the first steps confusing.

Onboarding was praised when it taught by doing, though lore-heavy openings could feel steep for newcomers.

Reviewers praised the breadth of adjustable settings, including accessibility features, UI controls, and visual options such as color blindness settings.

Reviewers noted useful accessibility and comfort controls such as camera, subtitle, difficulty, and arachnophobia-related options, though colorblind support was called out as missing.

Combat was the clearest consensus strength, praised as fluid, satisfying, richer, dynamic, and in some cases the best the series has felt.

Combat was one of the most consistently praised elements, especially magic, responsiveness, and build variety, despite repetition and gear-gating complaints.

Side character depth was split: several reviewers liked the cast, while others found Alma or supporting characters thin or irritating.

Side characters and companions were highly divisive: some found them memorable and heartfelt, while others thought they were shallow or uninspired.

Gameplay mechanics were generally praised for Focus Mode, wounds, weapon switching, and quality-of-life changes, though some felt over-streamlined.

Gameplay mechanics were generally praised as streamlined and flexible, but a few reviewers felt RPG systems lacked depth or reactivity.

Art direction received strong praise, especially for armor and overall visual identity reaching a franchise high point.

Most reviewers praised the bold, colorful, alien fantasy art direction, though a few disliked the cartoony look or felt presentation was uneven.

Fun factor was broadly positive, with even some critical reviewers acknowledging enjoyable fights, strong features, and blast-to-play moments.

Fun factor leaned positive overall, especially for combat and exploration, though some reviewers found the experience merely solid or underwhelming.

The atmosphere stood out in darker biomes and intimidating apex encounters, with reviewers highlighting creepy locations and weather-charged confrontations.

The Living Lands’ vivid tone, music, and dreamlike spaces were repeatedly praised for creating a distinctive atmosphere.

Frame rate stability varied by platform and mode, with smooth PS5/PC experiences balanced against stuttering, jittering, and unstable frame-rate complaints.

Frame-rate stability varied: some reviewers saw stable performance, while others reported hitches, drops, screen tearing, or stuttering.

Environmental detail was praised across reviews for beautiful, useful, stunning, and awe-inducing spaces.

Environmental detail was strongly praised through dense secrets, vistas, caves, and handcrafted spaces, even by some otherwise mixed reviewers.

Progression was mixed: several reviews liked smoother systems, but others thought unlocks dragged or progression became too fast to matter.

Progression systems were divisive: some liked flexible builds and added points, while others found midgame growth stagnant or too gear-dependent.

Visual effects quality was praised through spectacular cutscenes and dramatic lead-ins to hunts.

Visual effects, especially magic, were repeatedly praised for impact, color, and satisfying feedback.

The upgrade/build system was a mixed point where tighter buildcrafting created tradeoffs but made High Rank gear feel limited to one reviewer.

Upgrade systems were sharply divisive, with some liking gear longevity and many others criticizing tiers, scarcity, or number-go-up design.

The story's dangerous moments created some emotional impact for one reviewer by making the world feel more urgent and threatening.

Emotional impact came mostly from moral choices, consequences, and companion moments, though some endings or fallout felt muted to critics.

Weapon balance was largely positive because weapons felt viable and not underpowered, though Insect Glaive drew a notable caveat.

Weapon balance and variety were mostly praised for experimentation and flexible loadouts, but some reviewers felt magic outclassed melee or guns.

Menu usability was one of the weaker areas, with repeated complaints about confusing, buried, or hard-to-use menus.

Menu and ability-wheel usability was mixed; some quality-of-life systems helped, but radial wheels and limited hotkeys disrupted combat for others.

Control responsiveness was mostly praised for smoother, more flexible combat, though one reviewer still found the interface/control load cumbersome.

Controls and combat feel were commonly praised for responsiveness, impact, and keybind flexibility, with a few targeting frustrations.

Voice acting was mostly positive, with praise for English/Japanese dubs and solid performances despite one reviewer finding it merely fine.

Voice acting was mostly praised as strong or outstanding, though one reviewer found performances unable to save weaker writing.

Replay value was strong among positive reviewers who wanted to keep hunting, build gear, and spend hundreds more hours.

Replay value improved with choices and post-launch New Game Plus, though some reviewers felt repeated runs changed too little.

Value for money depended on expectations: one reviewer worried about bang for buck, while others found the price justified by long-term play and updates.

Value for money was mixed: reviewers praised Game Pass or lower pricing but questioned the original premium price for the scope.

Live-service support was viewed cautiously optimistic because free updates were expected to expand a base game some found light.

Post-launch support was viewed positively, with free updates improving stability, customization, build options, and quality-of-life features.

Soundtrack quality was mostly praised, with music described as mood-enhancing, blood-pumping, and sometimes incredible.

Soundtrack reception was generally positive but often stopped short of calling the music unforgettable.

Performance optimization was mixed by platform: some reviewers reported smooth or flawless performance, while others saw pop-in, frame issues, and poor PC optimization.

Performance optimization varied sharply across versions, from stable and improved after patches to demanding, stuttery, or poorly optimized on some PCs.

One reviewer specifically framed Avowed as more appropriate for older teens and adults because of its complex themes and mature material.

Character creation was generally praised as solid or deep, with later updates adding more races and appearance options.

Protagonist appeal improved for one reviewer because the hunter and Palico speaking made the story presentation feel less awkward.

Build and class flexibility was praised because Avowed lets players mix archetypes freely, though balance sometimes favored magic or specific styles.

Co-op was enjoyable overall, but reviewers noted story restrictions, unclear early setup, and uneven friction around playing together.

Steam Deck suitability was considered playable and verified, but the visual tradeoff was significant.

Haptic support was platform-dependent: one PS5 review praised DualSense vibration, while another noted missing haptic and trigger use.

Load times were generally praised or acceptable where seamless region transitions and reduced loading were noted.

Matchmaking quality was criticized in one review for a confusing, finicky multiplayer setup.

Microtransaction impact was criticized because paid character edit vouchers frustrated a reviewer who wanted to adjust their hunter.

Mission variety was praised where reviewers highlighted varied, dynamic fights and engaging battles across the campaign.

Monetization fairness drew criticism where editing a created character required paying for extra vouchers.

Online stability was mixed, ranging from frequent disconnects to smooth online lobbies and expected multiplayer performance.

Platforming precision was a pleasant surprise, with simple mantling and vertical puzzles adding a welcome exploration layer.

Skill trees were praised for flexibility but criticized by others as simple, shallow, or uneven across archetypes.

Social features were praised where Link Parties created a more intimate grouping layer than standard lobbies.

Stealth was criticized as underdeveloped or nearly useless, with little support for stealth-focused play.

Cross-play support was praised as a major technical addition that made playing with friends across platforms work well.

Platform-specific support was praised for PS5 performance modes, Sony-platform feel, and PC features such as DLSS.

Save reliability was a concern for at least one reviewer who needed more careful saving because of bugs.

Multiplayer design was broadly positive, especially once connected, though some reviewers noted restrictions and setup friction.

Puzzles were generally light but appreciated when they used environmental elements, timing, and exploration paths.